Vehicle body



VEHICLE BODY Fild May 1, 1924 INVENTOR. BY

49 flIAa FW M7, ATTORNEYS:

Patented Jan. I 1 925.

7 can stats attract earn e es.

ALFRED F. MASURY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR To INTERNATI'oNALIMOTO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK N. .Y.,

A con-rom'rron or DELAWARE.

VEHICLE BODY.

' Application fi1ed. May 1,1924. Serial No. 710,234.

To all whom it 92mg; concern:

.Be it known that-I, ALFRED F. 'MASURY, a citi'zeh ofthelln'ited States, residing in the borough'of Manhattan, of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Bodies, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. v This invention relates to an improved vehi cle body adapted to travel at relatively highspeeds and in which the body is'sup-' ported yieldingly with respect to the wheels. It has been proposed 'in both road vehicles and rail cars to employ devices-comm'only" termed snubbers to. checkdupward movements of the vehicle body with respect to the wheels. Further, many vehicles, particularly road vehicles, depend to a large extent-for their riding qualities on their weight, to the end that the vehicle will, as 'the popular expression is, hold the road, The principal object of the present 1nvention is to incorporatein a vehicle body 7 -means by which the downward pressure of air is iinpresse'dthereon, particularly when "the vehicle 'is traveling at higher speeds,

which pressure will oppose upward movements of the vehicle body both in rebound from the 'wheels and, as well, when the wheels tend to leave the road. In the simplest embodiment the top'of the vehicle is so formed as to besubjected to a down- ,ward air pressure which will have the effect described. The preferred form of top is one which is of relatively large superficial.

area, slopesappreciably from front to-rear 0f the vehicle and, is concave. in cross-section to define, as it were, the column of air which exerts the downward pressure desired. The concave configuration, in addition, has the effect of subjecting the top to airl pressure tending to, hold the body again-stswayingand directional changes which movements, for the purposes of this application, are intended to be embraced within the term holding the road. The invention will be described at greater length hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, "in which: 7

- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a motor bus having a top of improved form. .Figure 2 is a view intransverse section through the body shown in Figure 1 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the directo, a great degree on how closely the vehicle holdsthe'road and also upon the checking of rebound movements upwardly of the body on its spring supports. shown 'as supportedthrough springs?) on wheels 0, the propellingmotor (not illustrated.) being disposed under the bonnetd in accordance with accepted practice. The principle of the invention is based on the association with the body a of means whereby a downward component of air pressure will be impressed thereon particularly when the. vehicle is traveling at, higher speeds. The most convenient means available for impressing such a downward component of air pressure on the body is through the top a thereof. The-top a slopes rearwardly and upwardly to an appreciable degree. In the forward movement of the vehicle the top moves against the pressure of air indicated by the line a: which may be resolved into components of which one indicated at A is vertical and represents downward pressure of the air on the top. The effect of movements of the vehicle body on the springs]; and resist, as a whole, tendencies forfthe wheels 0 to leave the road momentarily. The net effect is that the vehicle holds the road to a greater degree than heretofore and its riding qualities are improved correspondingly. The action described may be enhanced to a degree 'by forming the top in cross-sectional form, concave, as indicated The bus body a is I this componentpressure is, to check upward at a in Figure 2. This .concave or troughlike form naturally defines the air currents which-subject the vehicle to downward pressure in'the manner pointedout and to an i extent confines the column of air creating the downward pressure. Further, the side walls of the concave section a are subjected to outward pressures whereby swaying of the vehicle body and directional changes are resisted. The superficial area of the top subjected to air pressure is also increased by a dished form.

'Ihe'principle underlying the present invention may be incorporated in vehicle bodies by providing other surfaces than the top which may be subjected to downward air pressures created in the manner herein contemplated and changes in the form of the top may be made, without departing from the invention. Vvhatl'clainiisz 1. In a vehicle, in combination With wheels, body and spring suspension therefor, a top for the body concave in crosssectional form and sub1ected to an appreciable downward air pressure upon forward travel of the vehicle.

2. In a vehicle, 1n cornblnation with wheels, body and spring suspension therefor, a top for the body dished in-erosssectional form and sloping upwardly from front to rear of the body and subjected to an appreciable downward air pressure upon forward travel of the vehicle.

This specification signed this 28th day of April, A. D. 1924.

ALFRED F. MASURY. 1 

